How to get print the size shown on computer

[dgmphoto]

I need help! The solution is probably straight forward but 7 prints on and I want to hit something.
I'm trying to print a 5x7 boarderless print on epson premium glossy photo paper. My computer is running xp I've tried printing a nef from capture NX2 a tiff from photoshop CS3, I've updated the epson printer driver to version 6.1a. My problems are;
a) It won't print landscape - I work round this by rotating image 90 degrees and printing portrait

b) Regardless of any settings 'crop to fit' or 'use output resolution' or using NX2 or CS3 the final print loses 2-3mm on the right and bottom edges. What is so annoying is that on the print dialog box on screen, it shows the result I want. I've used a 5x7 crop and a 127x178. Every print does the same looks fine on screen loses the right and bottom edge on printing.

Can someone help with a step by step guide to getting size on screen matching size on print. Normally I give myself more room at the edge of photos but in this case I really want those extra mm at the edge of the picture.

David

[Sigma]

David,

From my own limited experience of borderless printing attempts, reading both of others experiences and printer manual instructions, plus the death of one printer - What you are finding is normal.

Borderless printing is not quite what it pretends to be. There is no surgically precise ink cut off at the edge of the paper, instead you make the image a few millimetres bigger (see manual) all round than the paper. Then when you print borderless the printer simply wastes a bit of ink, in the process helping shorten the life of the printer by adding more waste ink to the "babies nappy" in the bowels of the beast and loosing you a bit of the image.

I much prefer to print on a larger sheet of paper and then crop if need be to achieve the same result.

Richard

[dgmphoto]

Thank you for the response. I feared that the answer would be along those lines. For something that is supposed to be logical, it is anoying that the print dialogue box doesn't show what will actually be printed also that when the crop is exact to 1mm and output resolution is selected, the printer driver must increase the size of the image so that it can lose the edges and yet still fill the paper with image.

David

[Costas L]

...... the printer driver must increase the size of the image so that it can lose the edges and yet still fill the paper with image. David

I assume that since your printing borderless, you have set the expansion slider to minimum in the printer driver settings to get as close as possible to your crop !

[dgmphoto]

Costas

Thank you!!! No hadn't noticed expansion slider on 2nd page of print driver. Still not perfect but much closer. Much happier now. Only excuse is that I am recovering from flu and brain is a bit like mush.

David